Priyansh Arya’s rapid rise in Indian cricket has been nothing short of remarkable. After emerging as IPL 2025’s biggest breakout star with Punjab Kings, the young batter Priyansh Arya hasn’t taken a moment to rest. Just a day after falling short in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Priyansh Arya was back on the field, this time in a local tournament in Delhi.
Within weeks, Priyansh Arya led his side to victory at the DDCA Hot Weather Tournament with a match-winning century. Now back in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, Priyansh Arya has already tallied 267 runs in seven innings at a blistering strike rate of 171, including another century.
After a quiet start to the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025, Priyansh Arya roared back to form with a breathtaking century against East Delhi Riders on Friday, 8 August. Opening for Outer Delhi Warriors, the left-hander hammered 111 off just 56 balls, peppering his innings with seven fours and nine towering sixes. His assault powered the Warriors to 231/7 and etched his name in the record books as the first player in DPL history to score more than one hundred.
A standout performer in the 2024 edition, Priyansh Arya piled up 608 runs in 10 innings at an average of 67.56 and a strike rate of nearly 200 – numbers that earned him an IPL contract with Punjab Kings in the 2025 mega auction.
His debut IPL season lived up to the hype: 475 runs in 17 innings at a blistering strike rate of 179.25, including a 103 against Chennai Super Kings and a season-best 141, playing a pivotal role in Punjab’s run to the final under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership.His 43-ball century against Chennai Super Kings was the third-fastest by an Indian in IPL history. Overall in his T20 career, Priyansh Arya has played 35 T20 matches ,accumulating 1048 runs at an average of 20.82 at a strike rate of 172.08 including five half centuries and 2 centuries.
Such show of exploits and exurberence from young Priyansh Arya has prompted former Indian and CSK batter Suresh Raina to believe that Priyansh Arya might be one of the strong contenders for the openers slot of T20I World Cp 2026 scheduled in India and Sri Lanka.
Suresh Raina picks up Priyansh Arya as one of the openers for T20I World Cup 2026
The 2026 edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year. A total of 20 teams will take part in the shortest format mega-event, which was last played in June 2024 in the West Indies and the USA and won by the Rohit Sharma-led Indian men’s cricket team. The Indian team, which tops the ICC rankings as well, will be one of the favourites to lift the title for the record-extending third time next year.
Ahead of the shortest format megaevent in the first quarter of 2026, former middle-order batter Suresh Raina, who was the first Indian to score a century in T20Is, was asked to pick his two opening batters for India in the T20 World Cup 2026. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad and KL Rahul are the ones who are contenders for the role, but according to Raina, Jaiswal should be one, and the other could be one out of Abhishek Sharma and Priyansh Arya.
Jaiswal has 723 runs to his credit in 23 T20Is played so far, whereas Abhishek, who also tops the ICC T20I batter’s ranking, has 535 runs to his name in 17 matches. On the other hand, Priyansh Arya is yet to make his debut for India, but he impressed with his batting in IPL 2025 for Punjab Kings.
“I think…mujhe lagta hai Yashasvi ek hai (Yashasvi is one). They can also look for Priyansh Arya; Abhishek Sharma is there, and Sanju Samson is there. KL Rahul is also there. He has performed wherever he got a chance. Ruturaj Gaikwad has also scored many runs. But I would prefer Abhishek Sharma. Shubman Gill can be captain as well; you never know,” Raina said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.
“I feel that among Yashasvi Jaiswal, Priyansh Arya, and Abhishek Sharma, two left-handers could be chosen. Shubman Gill can also play at number three. After that, depending on how they plan, any of these four could be settled into the role,” he added.
India’s next assignment is T20 Asia Cup 2025 in UAE. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will start their campaign against UAE on September 10. They have been placed in Group B alongside Pakistan and Oman.
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